LOGIN DASHBOARD

    Interviews

    3 MIN READ

    ‘We are well prepared, for at least a month’

    The Record, March 21, 2020, Kathmandu

    ‘We are well prepared, for at least a month’

      Share this article

    Interview with Dr. Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari, director, Teku Hospital (Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital).

    (The Record )

    While the rest of the world scrambles to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government maintains that there is no active Covid-19 case in Nepal. Rather than reassuring the general public, this assertion has created confusion. Many say that the fault lies in the country’s near dysfunctional health care system. Others have criticised the authorities for naively drawing a conclusion when hardly 500 persons have been tested so far. In this backdrop, the Record spoke with Dr. Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari, director of Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital, to find out what his institution is doing and how well Nepal is prepared for the pandemic.

    How prepared is Nepal in the event of an outbreak of the novel corona virus?

    We are well prepared for now and for at least a month. Considering the statistics until today (19 March), we are pretty well equipped in terms of medical supplies. We have:

    • 5 isolation beds
    • 40 beds placed at least 3 metres apart for quarantine
    • 5 beds equipped for intensive care. About 20 beds with full ICU facilities will be set up within 2 weeks.

    We are also equipped with supplies such as masks, eyeglasses, boots, gloves and other compulsory needs for service providers, who are doctors, nurses and additional helpers.

    According to the WHO, the outbreak is expected to be worldwide. What measures should the Nepal government be taking?

    The epicentre of the outbreak is certainly not Nepal. The virus is carried by people living in foriegn lands. So the first and foremost measure is to lock down the airport and not let any foreigners enter here (international flights have since been  suspended). If there are Nepalis who have been sent back, then they should be isolated for a minimum of 2 weeks, even if they do not develop symptoms. Nepalis do not tend to think twice before taking medicines such as cetamol and Rhinex. Taking these pills might lower one’s temperature for a certain time but eventually it will be higher again. That’s why 14 days of isolation is necessary.

    There are only 490 tests done to date, including the 400 students who arrived from China. Does testing only those 490 people suffice to say that the country has just been infected with one minor case of Covid-19?

    Again, Covid-19 did not happen in Nepal. It is more likely to be imported. Since the disease was from Wuhan, China, the students were more likely to carry it, hopefully nobody tested positive. This is called symptomatic testing, which is to test only those who have the symptoms and those who are more likely to carry the infectious disease.

    What is the major difference between isolation and quarantine?

    There’s a difference between isolation and quarantine. Isolation is for those who develop symptoms of infectious disease, who have been reasonably suspected to have the communicable disease.

    Whereas, quarantine is for those people who have already been infected with a communicable disease and are there to cure themselves--of course, by maintaining a distance of at least three metres.

    Picture Credit: The Record. At Teku Hospital (Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital)

    (Director Rajbhandari showed a video of the isolation room to The Record, which was a double ventilated room with a single-size bed, and an attached toilet. The isolation room was occupied by a man in a blue shirt [possibly in the 35-40 age group] with long hair tied in a ponytail.)

    Dr. Sundar Mani Dixit recently said that substandard equipment and inadequate testing was to blame for the negative results. What do you say to that?

    This is the time to support each other. During such a national crisis, sorry!  Since this is a global crisis, it is crucial to disseminate right information to the public. It has created sheer panic among the people.

    Read also:

    • Prepare, don't panic
    • How and Why to Prepare for the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal

    :::::::



    author bio photo

    The Record  We are an independent digital publication based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our stories examine politics, the economy, society, and culture. We look into events both current and past, offering depth, analysis, and perspective. Explore our features, explainers, long reads, multimedia stories, and podcasts. There’s something here for everyone.



    Comments

    Get the best of

    the Record

    Previous Next

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    Opinions

    6 min read

    The Nepali public can’t plumb China’s motives

    Gaurav Bhattarai - May 20, 2020

    We don’t understand how China actually views Nepal-India relations

    Culture

    Features

    8 min read

    The salt traders of Karnali

    Jag Bahadur Budha - August 31, 2021

    With the decline of the salt trade, the once-prosperous region of Karnali came to depend on Tibet, the very place it had been trading with for centuries.

    Features

    4 min read

    The courts can’t try us, Nepal Army tells Supreme Court

    Dewan Rai - June 19, 2018

    Maina Sunar case will set precedent for Army trials in civilian court

    Perspectives

    7 min read

    Menstrual cup conversations

    Shristi Shakya - August 10, 2021

    Menstrual cups are challenging rigid stereotypes about women’s bodies and creating space for conversations about female sexual and reproductive health.

    Interviews

    Longreads

    42 min read

    An interview with Padma Ratna Tuladhar

    David Gellner And Gregory N Sharkey - November 12, 2018

    In 1996 Padma Ratna Tuladhar spoke about his background, on the need for linguistic inclusion, the prevalent political culture and foreign aid in Nepal

    Writing journeys

    10 min read

    Kesang Tseten: ‘I like the process of discovery’

    Tom Robertson - May 26, 2021

    This week in Writing Journeys, filmmaker Kesang Tseten speaks about his dramaturgical approach to making films.

    Writing journeys

    13 min read

    Janak Raj Sapkota: ‘Ordinary people have extraordinary experiences’

    Tom Robertson - June 23, 2021

    This week, reporter and writer Janak Raj Sapkota writes about how his experimentation with colors and his habit of keeping a journal have helped his writing.

    Longreads

    21 min read

    No doctors for hospitals

    Rudra Pangeni - September 30, 2021

    Incompetent political leadership and corrupt administration has meant no new doctors have been appointed in the past four years. This has caused a great deal of suffering for many Nepalis.

    • About
    • Contributors
    • Jobs
    • Contact

    CONNECT WITH US

    © Copyright the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy